Monday, May 13, 1985

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Mayor Wilson Goode orders police to storm the radical group MOVE's headquarters to end a stand-off. The police drop an explosive device into the headquarters, killing eleven MOVE members and destroying the homes of 61 city residents in the resulting fire.

Sunday, May 13, 1888

Friday, May 13, 1881

Thursday, May 13, 1880

In Menlo Park, New Jersey, Thomas Edison performs the first test of his electric railway.

Saturday, May 13, 1865

American Civil War ndash Battle of Palmito Ranch: In far south Texas, more than a month after Confederate General Lee's surrender, the last land battle of the civil war ends with a Confederate victory.

Saturday, May 13, 1780

Thursday, May 13, 1779

War of Bavarian Succession: Russian and French mediators at the Congress of Teschen negotiate an end to the war. In the agreement Austria receives a part of the Bavarian territory (the Innviertel) and relinquishes the rest.

The Chinese emperor of the Ming Dynasty, the Hongwu Emperor, suspends the traditional civil service examination system after complaining that the 120 new "jinshi" degree-holders are too incompetent to hold office he instead relies solely upon a system of recommendations until the civil service exams are reinstated in 1384.